Greetings, faculty!
Please see the list of announcements, funding opportunities, and resources below. Archives of previous updates are available on ORSP’s blog.
Announcements
- Please join ORSP in welcoming Beverly Kemp, the new Senior Compliance Officer focusing on Research Security in the Office of Research Integrity. Her role will focus on all aspects of Research Security, including research conflicts of interest, visiting researcher procedures, and export control. Welcome, Beverly! We look forward to working with you.
- The UTC Quantum Initiative is hosting a free public program on quantum entanglement and the future of quantum applications, led by Dr. Joe Lukens of Arizona State University, on April 17. The event will be held in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s James R. Mapp Building location and it can be watched online via livestream here.
- NSF’s IOS Division is hosting a webinar from 1-2pm on April 18 focused on writing a one-pager to send to program officers. Your research does not have to fall into IOS’s priority areas to attend. Register here or check out the recap afterwards here.
- The NSF Policy Office is hosting a webinar at 2pm on April 25 on the new Common Forms for the Biosketch and CPS documents, which will be required for all NSF proposals due on or after May 20. Register here to attend.
- The updated NSF PAPPG (24-1) is effective May 20. More information about the changes impacting proposals is available in the Policy Spotlight section below. If you are leading or participating on a proposal to NSF that is due on or after May 20, please work with your Pre-award lead to ensure you are using the most up-to-date personnel forms.
Reminders
- The April Meetup for Researchers will be held from noon – 1:15pm on April 12 in the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2nd floor Mapp Building). The speaker is Dr. Charleson Bell, Hub Director of the NSF Mid-South I-Corps Hub and co-PI & State Director of the NIH Mid-South Research, Evaluation and Commercialization Hub at Vanderbilt University. Lunch will be provided. Click here to register.
- The Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship is hosting AI Conversations: An Innovation Exchange between Campus and Community from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 17at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Mapp Building. Lunch is included; click here to register.
- The UT System has launched the Grand Challenge Grants program, soliciting proposals for innovative projects poised to impact one of three areas: Strengthening Rural Communities, Overcoming Addiction, and Advancing K-12 Education. The program is open to faculty and staff at all UT campuses. Visit the program webpage to learn more. Applications are due April 30. Register here to be added to the contact list for upcoming virtual information sessions.
Funding Opportunity Interest Surveys
If you are interested in applying to any of the opportunities below, please take a moment to complete the brief interest survey. Additional proposal development resources may be available for interest survey respondents.
| Sponsor/Program | Internal Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| NIH R15 Interest Survey | April 15, 2024 | See the description in InfoReady Review for PI eligibility. There are three deadlines per year February 25, June 25, and September 25. |
| NSF REU Interest Survey | April 15, 2024 | There are no PI eligibility limitations; see the description in InfoReady Review for REU Site project requirements. Full proposals are due to NSF on August 21, 2024. |
Limited Submission Competitions
The following programs have a limited submission requirement. If you are interested in the program, you must submit a notice of intent by the internal deadline to be eligible to participate in an internal selection competition if one is held.
| Sponsor/Program | Internal Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| NSF Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) Notice of Intent | April 23, 2024 | UTC is limited to one proposal to this program.An individual may serve as PI or Co-PI in only 1 preliminary proposal. The PI must hold a full-time administrative or faculty position at the proposing institution. Must identify up to three individuals from the submitting institution (including the PI) to participate in the EPIIC workshops, and at least one administrator is required to serve on this team. |
Other Funding Opportunities
If you are interested in applying to any of the opportunities below, please notify ORSP at least 4-6 weeks in advance of the deadline. Proposals with fewer than 5 business days notice may face barriers to submission. More information about ORSP’s proposal development timeline and services is available here.
| Sponsor/Program | Deadline | Limitations or Special Considerations |
| NIH R16 SuRE-First NIH R16 SuRE | September 27, 2024 | UTC is eligible for this NIH funding mechanism. It supports two types of investigators:SuRE-First – investigators who have not been or are not the PD/PI of any peer-reviewed, externally funded federal or non-federal research award.SuRE – investigators may not be a PD/PI of an active NIH award (with some exceptions) but may have received previous funding from NIH and other sponsors. The SuRE Resource Center holds weekly Q&As for investigators interested in this funding mechanism. Additional application deadlines are May 28, 2025 and September 29, 2025. |
| NSF Cyberinfrastructure for Public Access and Open Science (CI PAOS) | N/A | Proposals are accepted anytime. Before submitting a proposal, proposers must discuss their project with a cognizant CI PAOS Program Officer and with the relevant NSF disciplinary research program officer(s) that would co-fund the project. |
Sponsored Projects Policy Spotlight: NSF PAPPG 24-1
The National Science Foundation has released the new Proposal & Awards Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG), effective May 20, 2024. A full summary of the changes is available here. Major changes include the following:
- New Personnel Required Assurance – Individuals who are party to a malign foreign talent recruitment program are no longer eligible to participate in any role on NSF-funded projects. Participation in programming sponsored by a non-maligned foreign government is allowable but must continue to be disclosed in the biosketch and/or CPS forms. To ensure all proposals submitted to NSF are compliant with this requirement, ORSP is requiring all named personnel (regardless of their role on the project) sign the Personnel Required Assurance form available here. The requirement extends to any named subaward personnel and consultant.
- Updated Biosketch Form – also called the Common Form; removes the synergistic activities section and updates the certification. See more here.
- Updated CPS Form – also called the Common Form; updates the certification; see more here.
- New Synergistic Activities Document – an additional personnel document that lists up to 5 synergistic activities. View the NSF instructions here and download a template here.
- Updated Mentoring Plan Requirement – A 1-page Mentoring Plan will be required if a graduate student or postdoc will participate in project. This is a change from the requirement only applying to postdocs. Further, if the project is funded, PIs must create and update annually an Individual Development Plan for each graduate student and postdoc who receives more than one month of support per year in NSF funding.
Best,
Ashley Ledford,
Director of Pre-Award Services
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Book a meeting with me!